Doro Wot (Ethiopian Spiced Chicken Stew)
A hearty Ethiopian chicken stew simmered with berbere spice blend, onions, garlic, and slow-cooked to tender perfection. Served with traditional injera or steamed rice, this dish celebrates authentic flavors and a comforting texture ideal for a weeknight meal.
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Overview
Doro Wot is a traditional Ethiopian chicken stew known for its rich, spicy flavor and layered complexity. Featuring berbere spice, slow-simmered onions, garlic, and tender chicken pieces, it offers a hearty meal that is both comforting and delightfully aromatic. Typically served with injera, an Ethiopian flatbread, or steamed rice, it’s perfect for bringing a touch of Ethiopian cuisine into your home cooking repertoire.
Why you'll love it
This stew strikes a beautiful balance of heat, depth, and savoriness, making it an excellent choice for those who appreciate bold flavors. The slow cooking allows the chicken to become tender and absorb the spices fully, resulting in a satisfying texture and richness. Plus, it makes for a fantastic weeknight dinner that's both wholesome and soul-warming.
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Ingredient notes
- Berbere Spice Blend: A key ingredient that defines the dish's spicy and aromatic character. You can find it at specialty stores or online, or make your own by blending chili peppers, garlic, ginger, and warming spices.
- Chicken: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or legs for deeper flavor and tender meat.
- Onions: Use a large quantity of finely chopped yellow onions, which cook down and form the stew’s flavorful base.
- Clarified Butter (Niter Kibbeh): Traditionally used for its rich flavor, you may substitute with ghee or unsalted butter if unavailable.
- Garlic and Ginger: Freshly minced to enhance the stew's aromatic profile.
Serving & storage
Serve Doro Wot hot with traditional Ethiopian injera or steamed white rice. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs (optional) and fresh chopped cilantro for authenticity. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove to preserve the stew's integrity. This dish also freezes well for up to 2 months—thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Chef tips
- Use bone-in chicken for more flavor and tender meat.
- Cook onions slowly to develop sweetness—do not rush this step.
- Adjust the amount of berbere spice to your preferred heat level.
- If you cannot find berbere spice, substitute with a blend of smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and ground fenugreek in smaller amounts.
- Serve with injera bread for an authentic experience or steamed rice as an alternative.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or legschicken
- 3 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 600 g)yellow onions
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) clarified butter or gheeclarified butter (niter kibbeh)
- 4 cloves garlic, mincedgarlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, mincedfresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons (30 g) berbere spice blendberbere spice blend
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato pastetomato paste
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken broth or waterchicken broth or water
- Salt to tastesalt
- Freshly ground black pepper to tasteblack pepper
- 2 hard-boiled eggs (optional), peeledhard-boiled eggs (optional)
- Fresh cilantro leaves (optional), for garnishcilantro leaves (optional)
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Equipment
- large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
- wooden spoon
- knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Nutrition per serving
- Calories450
- Protein40 g
- Carbs18 g
- Fat22 g
Step-by-step
Step 1
Finely chop the onions and rinse the chicken pieces under cold water. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.Step 2
Heat the clarified butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until melted and shimmering.Step 3
Add the chopped onions to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until they become soft and begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.Step 4
Add the garlic and ginger to the onions and cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant, stirring continuously to prevent burning.Step 5
Stir in the berbere spice blend and tomato paste, cooking for another 3 minutes to toast the spices and deepen the flavors.Step 6
Add the chicken pieces to the pot, turning them to coat evenly with the onion and spice mixture. Cook for 5 minutes to brown lightly.Step 7
Pour in the chicken broth or water, bringing the stew to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.Step 8
Reduce the heat to low, cover partially with a lid, and simmer gently for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.Step 9
If using, add peeled hard-boiled eggs to the stew during the last 10 minutes of cooking to heat through and absorb flavors.Step 10
Taste the stew and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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